The word grit gets its origin in the little grains of sand that blanket beaches worldwide. It has come, in modern parlance, to take on a much different meaning: the ability to persevere even when things look bleak. It has taken on such visceral importance to the common psyche that lack of it, for better or worse, makes one seem an unproductive or even dangerous member of society. For something so idealized by so many, there is a distinct lack of skepticism about its benefits. Is grit really all it’s cracked up to be?
If two people work equally hard, will they both arrive at the same place? If grit’s as important as some claim it is, then that should be true. Even accounting for all the advantages one gets in life, at the very least their grit should take them the same distance. Why is it, then, that we find again and again that the amount of work put in has nothing to do with the quality of the product taken out?
Work smarter, not harder. The programmer who optimizes his routine and writes a suite of programs for the more tedious tasks produces better products over the long haul than the programmer who writes everything from scratch. Yet many middle-managers and many instructors will look at the one sitting there doing busy work and they’ll be satisfied. Why? Because of this societal obsession with grit.
Grit is nothing more than an easy way to explain success. The successful, it will be reasoned, are the ones who work harder, the ones who persisted when others gave up. Of course, anyone can be successful as long as they put in the effort, or so the argument goes. But that, just as with grit, is simply an illusion. As with most illusions, it’s easy to see through.
Perhaps the overachieving child should not be encouraged to work forever. Perhaps, instead, they should be encouraged to work well. Teach them strategies for smart and efficient work that delivers the best results possible for their teachers and their employers. How long it takes, how much work they put in and how busy they look should not impact how we as a society see them. That might not be grit, but it is practical.
Work ethic is important, but there is nothing ethical about working in miserable conditions. There is nothing exemplary about enduring when one really should just quit. If something is so terrible, is it worth persevering just for whatever light lies at the end of the tunnel? Sometimes, certainly, it will be. But not always. Sometimes the right decision for you, your family and your future is to stop. Take a long, deep breath and find a different line of work. Find something new and exciting that you have passion for, that you find compelling or that inspires you. Whatever you do, don’t let yourself be ruled by grit.
